The Cowo Network @ Coworking Europe 2011: "Why a network?" by Massimo Carraro

Massimo Carraro, founder of the Cowo Network and coworking doorman @ Cowo Milano/Lambrate

Why a network?
Berlin, Germany, 4 november 2011

Massimo Carraro - CoworkingProject.com - Coworking Europe 2011
Creative Commons 3.0 Attribution - Share Alike

58 spaces
39 cities
2 countries
2 years


= coworking evengelists = create new spaces


why does this network exist

?

for 3 reasons


1.
network was born because people asked for it

!

2.
network is alive
because people
participate
in the project


3.
network grows
because its community grows


but why should a space join our network

?

where is the proﬁt of such choice

?

a network makes your space stronger


without network

work of 1 = worth 1


within a network of 50 spaces

work of 1 = worth 50


a network of 50 spaces

is a multiplier x 50


all the knowledge of 1 space x 50

new ideas that may come up in 1 space x 50

the WOM marketing of 1 space x 50

the reach of 1 space x 50

the SEO of 1 space x 50

the good people you meet in 1 space x 50 x web


the problems of 1 space : 50


in the same way that a coworking space
is enriched by the presence of many people


a coworking network
is enriched by the presence of many communities


because a coworking network is nothing but


a community of communities


So the question why should a space join
the network ﬁnds an answer in the very reason
that makes coworking unique


community


only on a larger scale

not only community of people
but community of communities


and you know how that works


join
join
join join
community
join join
join join


n e t w o r k


your space is what makes the network strong

your network is what makes your space strong


"ask not what your network can do for you"

"ask yourself what you can do for your network"


this way you make the network better and stronger


what does this mean?


resources

your space x 50 = achievements

relevance


people events
ideas
contacts

> community means resources <

energy
money
services marketing


visibility
growth

> resources mean achievements <

media attention
cowo wiﬁ
platform barcamps


get relevant in the local community

broaden your network

get institutional attention

> achievements mean relevance <

explore business opportunities

make a difference in your world... and change it

a network helps every single coworking to be
more relevant

cowo is about improving your coworking activity
®

leveraging the unifying efforts and sharing beneﬁts
of 58 coworking communities

58 places where someone (at least one person!)
dedicates work, energies, time to coworking

AND THESE PEOPLE ARE YOUR PARTNERS

now, how does this happen?

(seriously)


a good coworking network is a provider of

- knowledge
- tools
- services
- marketing/communication
- people
- business
- major projects


the knowledge you get by joning cowo

- by joining, you get the knowledge to become a coworking ambassador
(in the affiliation written agreement the fundamentals of coworking are clearly stated
+ there's a definite and undersigned commitment to sustainability in the fact that
the network defines a maximum price for the desk

- constant information through personal contacts, social media content, newsletter, events etc)

- cowo manuals: "guides" concerning operational and legal aspects of coworking

- instant access to a 4-year, hands-on expertise accumulated in creating 58 coworking spaces in 39 cities


the tools you get by joining cowo

- written agreement (prepared by a lawyer) for coworkers to sign
in order to guarantee both of you about the services provision (compliant with privacy laws)

- web page on the well-positioned cowo coworking platform

- press release for distribution among journalists and influencers

- communication tools: printed material, advertising files, hi-res logo files, cowo pins


the services you get by joining cowo

- central management of requests done by a human being (whoever expresses on the cowo online
platforms a need for a desk in a particular area gests an immediate answer
addressing her to the nearest coworking space)

- promotional deals granted to all networked spaces (hotel accomodation in various cities)

- assistance on legal matters such as: what are the legal implications of handing the space keys to
coworkers, what happens is something gets hurt etc

- assistance on ﬁnancial/taxation/accounting aspects such as:
how to invoice coworking services, how to declare the coworking income, how is taxation etc

- possibility for your coworkers to be hosted in other spaces of the network
at favorable conditions
(like a coworking visa with a fast lane)


the marketing/communication you get by joining cowo

- immediate access to a marketing strategy that has proven successful
to the point of... convincing you to join - the network strategy becomes your strategy

- word of mouth marketing: consistent approach to online conversations
(cowo is on 9 social networks, all of which duly taken care of; the network constantly produces online
content and participates or moderates conversations globally, on a daily basis, since 2008)

- a web page for your space on cowo well-positioned coworking platform + a welcome post
+ a mention in the monthly newsletter
+ listing in the coworking cowo directory

- free use of the registered "cowo" logo for 12 months

- advertising template

- pdf brochure

- organic SEO results, thanks to the constant online cowo activities


the people you get by joining cowo

- meet people coworking in other spaces (both ofﬂine and online, no physical limits)

- browse the online communities and network with the people that interests you the most,
for professional/personal/commercial reasons

- invite other communities to your events

- propose initiatives networkwide involving our spaces (open cowo, jelly, parties etc)

- get support from the network founders in terms of coaching and personal networking


the business you get by joning cowo

- promote your space on the network channels/events,
and get more potential coworkers visit your space

- co-opetition with other coworking spaces of the network
(if one space has more requests thant it can satisfy,
he will pass the coworkers to other
spaces in the network; if one coworker in venice moves to barcelona,
she will obviously turn to the cowo space there;
if you launch an event in your city, you may have a good base of
participants from the other coworking communities of the network, etc)

- support about commercial and promotional strategies, pricing, deals from the network founders,
who have being doing this for years both at a network level and running their own space

- professional network personal boost, by joining a community of communities,
many of which involved in speciﬁc industries


one major project you get by joining cowo

the Cowo Wi-Fi navigation platform, specifically conceived for our network, able to:

- connect up to 255 devices

- provide a free, efficient, legal navigation platform
to the citizens of the area surrounding the space
as well as coworkers, turning every Cowo space
into a Free WiFi public hot-spot

- improving the user-experience of the
coworking space with a user-friendly,
easy-to-use and efficient Wi-Fi platform

- give one single password
to all coworkers, with which
they can connect in all cowo
spaces that adopt the platform

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so,


everything comes down to a simple statement:


the network is you


and


you are the network.


thank you berlin!

Massimo Carraro
CoworkingProject.com
NomadWork.ning.com
Twitter.com/coworkingcowo
Facebook.com/coworkingcowo
Creative Commons 3.0 Attribution - Share Alike max@monkeybusinessmilano.it

The Cowo Network @ Coworking Europe 2011: "Why a network?" by Massimo Carraro

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